Projection knob for tv channel selection



Get. 30, 1956 J. A. FISHER 2,768,603

PROJECTION KNOB FOR TV CHANNEL SELECTION Filed Aug. 26, 1954 ATTORNEYUnited States Patent PROJECTION KNOB FOR TV CHANNEL SELECTION James A.Fisher, Metuchen, N. J., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation,East Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August26, 19524, Serial No. 452,406

6 Claims. (Cl. 116-1244) This invention relates to selector controls,and more particularly to television channel selectors.

It is an object of this invention to provide a selector control withimproved means for indicating the position of the control.

It is another object of this invention to provide a television channelselector with improved means for indieating to which channel atelevision receiver is tuned.

It is a further object to provide a very high frequencyultra highfrequency television channel selector with improved means for indicatingto which channel the device is tuned.

These and other objects of the invention are effected as will beapparent from the following description and claims, taken in accordancewith the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this application.

In the drawing, there is shown a cutaway side view of a section of atelevision receiver apparatus including a very high frequency-ultra highfrequency channel selector embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a section of a conventionaltelevision receiver is shown including a picture tube 10, a picture mask11, a safety glass member 12, a source of light 13, and a selectorcontrol indicated, as a whole, by the reference numeral 14.

The picture tube 18 is enclosed in a cabinet having a front wall 15 andis positioned behind the safety glass member 12. The picture tube 10rests against a dust seal 16 which extends around the circumference ofthe forward part of the picture tube 10. One end of the picture tubemask 11 is attached to the dust seal 16, and the other end is attachedto the front wall of the cabinet by means of the safety glass member 12.The picture tube mask 11 slopes rearwarclly from its position behind thesafety glass member 12 and upwardly to the dust seal 16.

The selector control 14 is provided with concentric shafts 17 and 18which extend through the front wall 15 of the cabinet. The inner shaft17 is adapted to be connected to certain coil combinations (not shown)which are tuned to the respective very high frequency channels assignedto transmitting stations by the Federal Communications Commission. Theouter shaft 18 is adapted to be connected to certain coil combinations(not shown) which are tuned to the respective ultra high frequencychannels assigned by the Federal Communications Commission. The finetuning for both the very high frequency and ultra high frequencychannels is accomplished through the shaft 18.

An outer knob 19 is fixed to the inner shaft 17 and controls themovement of the shaft 17. An inner knob 20 is fixed to the outer shaft18 and controls the movement of the shaft 18. The outer knob 19 has acircular skirt member 21 which is integral with the knob 19 and extendsthrough the front wall 15 of the cabinet. The skirt member 21 has a dialportion 22 which has indicia 23 corresponding to the very high frequencychannels imprinted in circumferentially spaced relation on its PatentedOct. 30, 1956 outer surface. The inner knob 20 is also attached to acircular skirt member 24 which is fixed to a sleeve 25. The sleeve 25 isin turn rotated by the outer shaft 18 to the correct ratio providing amaximum area of skirt member 24 on which to place suitable indicia. Theskirt member 24 has a dial portion 26 which has indicia 27 correspondingto the ultra high frequency channels imprinted in circumferentiallyspaced relation on its outer surface. The dial 26 on the skirt member 24is substantially in alignment with the dial 22 located on the skirtmember 21.

The surface of the dials 22 and 26 are finished in a highly reflectivematerial, such as stainless steel, chromium plate, aluminum, silver andthe like, in its metallic state. The indicia 23 and 27 are finished inblack so as to reduce light reflection therefrom to a minimum. The dialsmay have flat, curved or shaped surfaces for indicia to provide clarityor novel effects.

The picture tube mask 11 has a screen portion 28 which is of atranslucent material. The light source 13 is mounted under the picturetube mask 11 adjacent to the skirt member 21 and in a position so as toilluminate the surface of the dial 22 when the selector control 14 isoperated to tune to a very high frequency channel. When the selectorcontrol 14 is operated to tune to an ultra high frequency channel, thelight source 13 will illuminate the dial 26 through an opening 29provided in the dial 22. The light source 13 is preferably as small aspossible which can be accomplished by orientation of the filament or byother means known to the art.

In operation, assume the selector control 14 is set to tune the receiverto a very high frequency channel. When the television receiver isconnected to operating potentials, the illumination from the lightsource 13 is cast on the dial 22 which has imprinted on it the numeralcorresponding to a particular very high frequency channel. The lightcast upon the dial 22 is reflected in such a manner as to projecttransparent, but easily readable, images on the translucent screen 28. Aperson may then read the image projected on the screen 28 through thesafety glass 12 and ascertain the channel the receiver is tuned to. Totune the receiver to an ultra high frequency channel, the outer knob 19is turned until the opening 29 provided in the dial 22 is opposite thelight source 13. Illumination from the light source 13 is then cast onthe dial 26 which has imprinted on it the numeral corresponding to theultra high frequency channel to which the selector control 14 is turnedto. The light cast on the dial 26 is reflected as before to project animage on the screen 28 which is indicative of the ultra high frequencychannel to which the receiver is tuned.

As the surfaces of the dials 22 and 26 are finished in a highlyreflective material, the indicia projected on the screen 28 appears indark outline upon a bright background. Of course, the surfaces of thedials 22 and 26 may be finished with a non-reflective material, and theindicia 23 and 27 may be imprinted with a suitable material to reflect amaximum amount of light. In the latter case, the indicia 23 and 27 wouldappear in bold outline on the screen 28 without any background.Different kinds of color combinations can be obtained by using colorlamps or color filters at the light source 13 or at the screen 28. Also,a thin layer of a material of a suitable color may also be placed on thereflective surfaces of the dials 22 and 26 to obtain different colorimages.

While I have shown my invention in a preferred form, it will be obviousto those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof.

1 claim as my invention:

1. In a television channel selector, selector means comprising a pair ofconcentric knobs, one of said knobs having channel indicating meansprovided with light reflective indicia thereon, a translucent screendisposed adjacent to said channel indicating means, and means toilluminate a portion of said channel indicating means to cause an imageof said indicia to be projected onto said translucent screen.

2. In a television channel selector, selector means comprising a pair ofconcentric knobs, one of said knobs having a circular section extendingfrom the rear of said knob, said circular section having a dial, lightreflecting channel indicia provided on said dial, a translucent screendisposed adjacent to said dial, and means to illuminate a part of saiddial to cause an image of a single channel indicia. to be projected ontosaid translucent screen.

3. In a television channel selector, selector means having concentricinner and outer shafts, each of said shafts having a knob associatedtherewith to facilitate turning of said shafts, a first channelindicating means responsive to the turning of said inner shaft withlight reflective indicia thereon, a second channel indicating meansresponsive to the turning of said outer shaft with light reflectiveindicia thereon, a translucent screen, disposed adjacent to said firstand second channel indicating means and means to illuminate separately aportion of said first or said second channel indicating means to causean image of the indicia thereon to be projected onto said translucentscreen.

4. In a television channel selector, a source of light, selector meanshaving concentric inner and outer shafts, each of said shafts having aknob associated therewith to facilitate turning of said shafts, a firstchannel indicating means responsive to movement of said outer shaft,said first indicating means comprising light reflective indicia, asecond channel indicating means responsive to movement of said innershaft, said second indicating means comprising light reflective indicia,a translucent screen disposed adjacent to said first channel indicatingmeans, said first channel indicating means being positioned between saidsource of light and said second channel indicating means, said source oflight being positioned so as to illuminate separately portions of saidfirst or said second channel indicating means to cause an image of saidindicia to be projected onto said translucent screen.

5. In a television channel selector, a translucent screen, selectormeans having concentric inner and outer shafts, each of said shaftshaving a knob associated therewith to facilitate turning of said shafts,a first circular member skirting said inner and outer shafts andattached to said outer shaft, said circular member being provided with adial with light reflective indicia in circumferentially spaced relationon its outer surface, said light reflective indicia corresponding to onegroup of television frequency channels, a second circular memberskirting said first circular member and integral with the knobassociated with said outer shaft, said second circular member beingprovided with a dial with light reflective indicia in circumferentiallyspaced relation on its outer surface, said light eflective indiciacorresponding to another group of television frequency channels, atranslucent screen disposed adjacent to said second circular member, andmeans to illuminate separately a portion of said dial of said firstcircular member or a portion of said dial of said second circular memberto cause an image of said indicia to be projected onto said translucentscreen.

6, in a television channel selector, a translucent screen, selectormeans having concentric inner and outer shafts, each of said shaftshaving a knob associated therewith facilitate turning of said shafts, afirst circular member skirting said inner and outer shafts and attachedto said outer shaft, said circular member being provided with a firstdial with light reflective indicia in circumferentially spaced relationon its outer surface, said light reflective indicia corresponding toultra high frequency channel designations, a second circular memberskirting said first circular member and integral with the knobassociated with said outer shaft, said second circular memher beingprovided with a second dial with light reflective indicia incircumferentially spaced relation on its outer surface, said lightreflective indicia corresponding to very high frequency channeldesignations, said second dial being positioned directly over said firstdial, a translucent screen disposed adjacent to said second circularmember, means to illuminate either a portion of said first dial throughan opening provided in said second dial to cause an image of saidindicia corresponding to the particular ultra high frequency channeldesignation to which the selector means may be turned to be projectedonto said translucent screen or a portion of said second dial to causean image of said indicia corresponding to the particular very highfrequency channel designation to which the selector means may be turnedto be projected onto said translucent screen.

Polley June 22, 1954 Harman June 28, 1955

